Flying Without Wings
by Nicky
Summary: A Garnet and Zidane story.
1. Default Chapter Title

Flying Without Wings

A FF9 Romance Fic Series

The sequel series to "The Quest"

  
  


"The Invitation" 

  
  


Disclaimer: All characters belong to Squaresoft. The songs "Tell him" belongs to Celine Dion (And Barbara Streisand; they did this duet together).

A/N: Part 1 will be short, and all ideas for the rest of the series will be accepted. Send them to me in a review, or when you e-mail me ([Bombshell_Gal@hotmail.com)][1] and I'll try to include them. So, enjoy!

A/N #2: The story starts off 15 years from the present day, which is 2 years after FF9 ended, moves up five more years to when they got married, and then moves to the present day, which is seventeen years after FF9 ended. Just wanted to clear that up. ^_^

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Fifteen years ago......

  
  


18 year old Garnet Alexandros the 17th looked over at the 8 year old Eiko Carol, who was holding a bucket of popcorn in her arms. They were watching the newest horror movie to come out. 

"Hey Eiko," she said. 

  
  


Eiko looked up. "What Garnet?" she asked. 

  
  


"I was wondering... even though you're only 8..."

  
  


"Yes?"

  
  


"What do you know about guys?" said Garnet in a rush.

  
  


"Why are you asking me though? I'm only an 8 year old girl...."

  
  


"Because I think you're smarter than you let people think you are."

  
  


"I'm flattered."

  
  


"Good," said Garnet. "Now tell me what you know."

  
  


"Hmm..... well, it depends on who it is you like. Your special guy would be....?"

  
  


"....Zidane Tribal....." she muttered in a hardly audible whisper. But by the look on Eiko's face, Garnet knew the 8 year old had heard. 

  
  


Eiko put on an innocent face. "What was the name Garnet? You didn't say it loud enough."

  
  


Garnet sighed, and decided she'd allow Eiko to have some fun. "Zidane Tribal," she said, only louder this time.

  
  


Eiko's mouth dropped in mock shock. "THE Zidane? The one who kidnapped you two years ago?"

  
  


Garnet smirked. "I'd hardly call it kidnapping. He spent half of his time staring at me, and the other half trying to put the moves on me."

  
  


"But....?" prompted Eiko.

  
  


Garnet blushed. "But I think he's the most adorable guy I've ever known. I want to go out with him, even though we're both 18, but I don't know what to do," she whined. "Eiko, can you help me?" 

  
  


"Maybe," said the girl.

  
  


"What do I have to give you in return?" demanded Garnet. 

  
  


"Something. How about a favor," said Eiko simply. "Whenever I need a favor done, I'll ask you. Deal?"

  
  


"Deal. Now could you please tell me how to ask him out!" 

  
  


"Alright, alright, just chill. I'm feeling kinda wired right now, so I'll give you your advice by singing. I'll start from your point of view, and then I'll switch to mine, okay?"

  
  


"Sure," said Garnet, as she reached for the remote and clicked the TV off. 

  
  


"Good. The first bit is from your POV." Eiko cleared her throat, and began to sing. 

  
  


_I'm scared_

_So afraid to show I care_

_Will he think me weak_

_If I tremble when I speak_

_Oooh- what if_

_There's another one he's thinking of_

_Maybe he's in love_

_I'd feel like a fool_

_Life can be so cruel_

_I don't know what to do_

  
  


Eiko stopped singing for a minute. "Now, here's my advice to you," she said. Garnet nodded, and Eiko continued on singing.

  
  


___I've been there_

_With my heart out in my hand_

_But what you must understand_

_You can't let the chance_

_To love him pass you by_

  
  


_Should I_

  
  


_Tell him_

_Tell him that the sun and the moon_

_Rise in his eyes_

_Reach out to him_

_And whisper_

_Tender words so soft and sweet_

_Hold him close to feel his heart beat_

_Love will be the gift you give yourself_

  
  


_Touch him_

_With the gentleness you feel inside_

_Your love can't be denied_

_The truth will set you free_

_You'll have what's meant to be_

_All in time you'll see_

  
  


_I love him_

_Of that much I can be sure_

_I don't think I could endure_

_If I let him walk away_

_When I have so much to say_

_I'll...._

  
  


Eiko paused. "And that last verse described what you feel about him, right?" she asked. __

  
  


Garnet nodded again, blushing a deep red.

  
  


Eiko smiled, then continued on. 

  
  


_Tell him_

_Tell him that the sun and the moon_

_Rise in his eyes_

_Reach out to him_

_And whisper_

_Tender words so soft and sweet_

_I'll hold him close to feel his heart beat_

_Love will be the gift you give yourself_

  
  


_Love is light that surely glows_

_In the hearts of those who know_

_It's a steady flame that grows_

_Feed the fire with all the passion_

_You can show_

_Tonight love will assume its place_

_This memory time cannot erase_

_Blind faith will lead love_

_Where it has to go_

  
  


_Tell him_

_Tell him that the sun and the moon_

_Rise in his eyes_

_Reach out to him_

_And whisper_

_Tender words so soft and sweet_

_Hold him close to feel his heart beat_

_Love will be the gift you give yourself_

  
  


_Never let him go...._

  
  


Eiko closed her eyes as she stopped singing, then opened them to see Garnet applauding enthusiastically. "That was great!" exclaimed Garnet. "Where did you learn to sing like that?" she asked 

__

Eiko blushed. "The Moogles who raised me," she said.__

  
  


"Really?" asked Garnet. "Cool."

  
  


Eiko grinned. "So, whatever I sang is what you have to do to him, okay?"

  
  


Garnet went scarlet. "I don't know...."

  
  


Eiko nudged her in the side. "Oh come on. You want to go out with him, right?"

  
  


Garnet slowly nodded. "Yes... but I don't know if I have the guts to do all that!" she complained. 

  
  


Eiko sighed. "Fine. How about this. I'll ask him out for you, on the phone, and arrange everything. All you'd have to do is get dressed and meet him wherever I set you guys up at."

  
  


"Alright," said Garnet, giving in to Eiko at last. "You can call Zidane. Just don't make me sound to eager, okay Eiko?"

  
  


"Deal."

  
  


"Here's his number." Garnet handed over Zidane's number to Eiko, who took it with a mischievous look on her face. 

Eiko looked down at the piece of paper. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? It seems a certain someone has so much of a crush on someone else that she's gone as far as to laminate his number....."

  
  


"Eiko!" shouted Garnet as she tried to snatch Zidane's number back "If you're going to keep doing that, you can just forget about calling Zidane!" 

  
  


Eiko pocketed the piece of paper before Garnet could get to it. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I'll call him now."

  
  


Eiko turned around, picked up the phone, and dialed Zidane's number. Garnet sat down on the couch while she let Eiko talk to her crush. Eiko grinned, gave her thumbs up sign to signal that she was talking to him, and then she walked from the room, so Garnet couldn't hear their conversation. 

  
  


Too nervous to sit down, Garnet got up and began to pace the length of the small room. 

It was a long five minutes for Garnet, but finally Eiko returned. Garnet immediately ran over to her, and began pumping her for the details.

  
  


"What happened?! Did he say yes?! Eiko, tell me!!"

  
  


"Whoa, hold on Garnet. Let me get a word in. Okay. He said he will go out with you-"

  
  


Eiko was cut off by the joyful shouts which came from the princess. She patiently waited until Garnet had worn herself out, then continued. 

  
  


"I made arrangements for you to go to that new restaurant down the street... What's it's name again?"

  
  


Garnet gasped. "You mean..... Avalanche? The one who's owner used to work in a terrorist group?"

  
  


Eiko nodded. "Yes, that's it."

  
  


"But Eiko, it's so expensive there! I don't know if I can get that much money from Daddy and..."

  
  


"Oh don't worry Garnet," said Eiko. "Zidane said that because he was treating you, he'd pay for the entire thing. You sure do know how to pick the good ones Garnet."

  
  


"I know. What else did you say?" she asked. 

  
  


"Um... he'll be wearing a black tuxedo, so you'd better find a dress that would match that. I think he said the corsage he'll be bringing you will be white, so you have that to consider too. And... I think that's it."

  
  


"Did you tell him what day it was?" asked Garnet. 

  
  


"Oh yeah!" said Eiko, snapping her fingers. "You guys will be going out tomorrow. He'll be by at seven sharp, so be ready, he said. Did I forget anything else?"

  
  


"Nope."

  
  


Eiko grinned. "Then good luck. Hey, do you want me to start the movie again?" she asked

Garnet.

  
  


"Sure, why not?"

  
  


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Part 1is done! Any suggestions for the new series will be accepted. Please R/R!!!

  
  
  
  


   [1]: mailto:(Bombshell_Gal@hotmail.com)



	2. Default Chapter Title

Flying Without Wings- Part 2

Sequel series to "The Quest"

A FF9 Romance

  
  


"The Big Night"

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Squaresoft. The song "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" belongs to Bryan Adams, as do the songs "Let's Make A Night To Remember" and "Inside Out." (I kinda like his music- can you tell? ^_^)

A/N: Enjoy!!! All ideas and suggestions for this series will be accepted. Please R/R this!!!

A/N #2: This will get a bit steamy, but there will be NO HENTAI!! I don't write those kind of stories. *I think over what I just said* Well, maybe not anime and Final Fantasy hentai stories. Don't get mad at me for saying I've written a couple of personal hentai stories, but I don't think I'll post them.

A/N #3: Last one. I want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed my work, and for everyone who has asked me not to *cough cough Mallow 64 cough cough*, I WILL NOT be killing off Aeris in my 'Final Fantasy Cliche' series. Why would I? She's like my second favourite character from FF7, and I want to have her and Cloud hook up in the very end. 

A/N #4: I lied. Anyways, in this world, the worlds of FF7 and FF9 have been crossed. Like, the Shinra was in the world of FF9, as are some of the characters. ^_^ If you don't understand, read onto find out. 

A/N #5: Warning, the lyrics in one of the songs in this fic are a little.... detailed. So if you can't stand stuff like people saying to each other that they wanna do it, then don't read this. They aren't that bad, but some people may not like them, and if that's you, then don't read on, and please don't flame me for it!!!

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It's the night of the big date.... And over at Zidane's House.....

  
  


Zidane, Steiner, Amarant and Quina were all sitting in Zidane's living room drinking beer. Well, actually Quina was eating some sort of red meat. 

"So, now I gotta take that bitchy princess snob out on a date..." said Zidane, then hiccuped. 

  
  


Steiner laughed. "Have fun with that chick....." was all he said.

  
  


Zidane grinned. "Got any advice old man?"

  
  


Steiner shook his head. "Nope.... you're on your own."

  
  


"Damn," was Zidane's answer. 

  
  


Quina looked up from its meal. "Hey Zidane?" it asked.

  
  


"Yeah?"

  
  


"What time is your date?" it asked. 

  
  


"Um.... I think it was for seven. What time is it now?" Zidane asked Quina.

  
  


Quina checked it's wristwatch. "My watch says 6:45."

  
  


Zidane jumped up, spilling his beer onto his lap. "Holy shit, I'm gonna be late!! She'll kill me! I'll catch you guys later," shouted Zidane, running up the stairs to his room to get changed into his tuxedo.

  
  


Over at the castle (in Garnet's room)......

  
  


"Eiko, does this look good on me?" asked Garnet, twirling around in the dress she was displaying for Eiko.

  
  


"I think Zidane will like it. Hey Garnet, can I ask you something?"

  
  


"You just did."

  
  


"Very funny. Um... where are you and Zidane going to go after you have dinner?"

  
  


Garnet grinned. "That's for me to know, and you to find out when you're older. Now, does this look good on me?"

  
  


Eiko sighed. "Yes, it does. I've already said that a hundred times. Where's Zidane? He's late."

  
  


Garnet smiled. "Typical Zidane."

  
  


Just then, the doorbell rang, and Eiko went to answer it. Garnet could hear the little girl talking to Zidane, and then she heard Eiko call for her. Summoning up her courage, Garnet picked up the end of her dress so it wouldn't drag, and walked down the stairs.

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zidane's POV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


My first thought was, 'Wow, she's absolutely gorgeous in that dress!' Then it changed to, 'Wait, this is Garnet we're talking about. There is know way she can look that good... alright, maybe there is. But I'm not going to fall for her, I'm not.... this is hopeless.'

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Garnet's POV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


As I came down the stairs, my eyes fell on Zidane, who was wearing this cute black tuxedo. 'He looks so handsome!' I thought to myself. 'I owe Eiko one. This is all happening because of her.' Then, 'Oh my God, oh my God, I think I'm gonna faint! I can't go through with this!' And then.... "Alright, maybe I will. And if anything bad happens, I'll get her back for it later.'

  
  


*Back to third person POV*

  
  
  
  


Garnet came down the stairs, and stopped in front of Zidane, who bowed as she approached him. Garnet giggled, and he straightened up. 

  
  


Zidane looked her in the eye. "Shall we get going, milady?" he asked her. Garnet glanced to an area by the door, and saw Eiko beaming up at her. Looking back at Zidane, she nodded. 'Let's," she said firmly. 

  
  


They were just ready to leave, when suddenly Eiko piped up. "Ahem Zidane," she said. "Don't you have something to give Garnet?"

  
  


Zidane thought for a moment. "Oh yeah," he said. He reached into the tuxedo pocket and pulled out a white flower. Leaning forward, he pinned it on the front of her dress. 

  
  


"Now are we ready?" Garnet asked. 

  
  


Zidane nodded. "Sure." He turned to Eiko. "Eiko, we'll be back before midnight, okay? So don't wait for Garnet."

  
  


Eiko nodded. "Alright Zidane. You two lovebirds have fun!" She pushed the couple out onto the front step and shut the door behind them. 

  
  


Zidane looked behind them, then turned back around and held out his arm for Garnet, who took it. He led them down to his car, and then they drove off. 

  
  
  
  


At the restaurant.....

  
  


Zidane and Garnet sat down at their table and opened their menus. 

  
  


"What are you going to have Garnet?" he asked her.

  
  


"Um.... I'll have the chicken fingers and fries," she said, closing her menu. When she looked up and saw the strange look he was giving her, she blushed. 

  
  


"It's a tradition," she said sheepishly. "Whenever I used to go to a restaurant as a child, I was told that my parents always ordered chicken fingers and fries for me." Garnet coughed in embarrassment. "And what will you be having?" she asked Zidane.

  
  


Zidane grinned at her, and set his menu down on the table. "Since you've ordering something from the children's menu, I will too. But to find out what it is, you'll just have to wait until I order." He looked around behind him, and smiled. "Ah, here's our waiter now," he said.

  
  


The waiter approached their table, and took out a notebook in which he was going to write down their orders in. 

  
  


"Hello, and welcome to Avalanche. Your waiter will be with you in a minute."

  
  


"You mean you aren't our waiter?" asked Cloud. 

  
  


"No. I'm the manager," said the man, and pointed to his name tag, which read 'Barret Wallace- Manager'

  
  


"Oh."

  
  


Barret looked back over his shoulder. "Ah, here's your waiter now," said Barret. Then he bowed and left. A man with spiky blonde hair took his place.

  
  


"Hi, and welcome to Avalanche," said the man in a bored tone of voice. "My name is Cloud Strife, and I'll be your waiter for tonight. Have you decided what you want to order?" he asked. 

  
  


Zidane nodded. "My girl here," he said, causing Garnet to blush, "Will have the chicken fingers and fries. And I'll be having..." Zidane scanned the menu, and his eyes lit up when he made his choice. "I'll be having the same thing."

  
  


Cloud rolled his eyes. "Alright. What would you two 'kids' like to drink?" 

  
  


Garnet answered this time. "Um... two root beers please."

  
  


"Alright. Your food will be ready in about twenty minutes."

  
  


Cloud turned to leave, but was stopped when Zidane tapped Zidane on the elbow. Cloud sighed, then turned around.

  
  


"What is it?" he demanded impatiently. 

  
  


"Weren't you in that old terrorist group AVALANCHE?" asked Zidane innocently. 

  
  


Cloud went white, and started to back away from the table. "You can't blame me," he said, jerking his head around to see if anyone was listening to their conversation. "I didn't do nuthin'! We were the reason you guys are all still here today! We saved you from the goddamn Shinra!"

But people _had_ heard Cloud, and they were staring to stare. Cloud was curled into a ball in the middle of the floor, shouting stuff about his old terrorist group, when Barret showed up. He took one look at Cloud, got a disgusted look on his face, then snapped his fingers. Two guards immediately ran up and saluted Barret by his side. "Take him away," said Barret, waving an arm toward the door. Both guards nodded, then reached down and grabbed Cloud by an arm, and hauled him towards the door, finally throwing him outside. They slammed the doors shut behind them. Then Barret and the two guards went back to the kitchen. 

  
  


It took a few minutes for everyone to quiet down, but eventually things went pretty much back to normal. The music from the band in the corner of the room was playing, and food was being served. 

  
  


Zidane and Garnet got their meal, and after they'd finished, Zidane asked her a question. 

  
  


"Would you... maybe like to dance?" he said, bright red and not looking at Garnet. 

  
  


Garnet reached out and tilted his face upward with a finger, so that Zidane was looking at her. "Of course," she said, smiling. Zidane grinned, then held out an arm for Garnet to take, which she did, and led her out onto the dance floor. 

  
  


Just then, the music stopped for a few seconds, and then a new song started up, a slow one at that. Zidane blushed, then carefully pulled Garnet into his arms, and put his hands on her waist. Blushing even more than Zidane was, Garnet put her arms around his neck.

  
  


_To really love a woman_

_To understand her_

_You gotta know her deep inside_

_Hear every thought_

_See every dream_

_'N give her wings when she wants to fly_

_Then when you find yourself lying _

_Helpless in her arms_

_You know you really _

_Love a woman_

_When you love a woman _

_Tell that she's really wanted_

_When you love a woman _

_Tell her that she's the one_

_Cuz she needs somebody _

_To tell her that it's gonna last forever_

_So tell me have you ever really_

_Really really ever loved a woman_

  
  


_To really love a woman_

_Let her hold ya_

_'Til you know how she needs to be touched_

_You've gotta breathe her_

_Really taste her_

_'Til you can feel her_

_In your blood_

_'N when you see your unborn children_

_In her eyes_

_You know you really_

_Love a woman_

  
  


_When you love a woman_

_Tell her that she's really wanted_

_When you love a woman_

_Tell her that she's one_

_Cuz she needs somebody _

_To tell her that you'll _

_Always be together_

_So tell me have you ever really_

_Really really ever loved a woman_

  
  


_You've got to give her some faith _

_Hold her tight_

_A little tenderness_

_Gotta treat her right_

_She will always be there for you_

_Takin' good care of you _

_Ya really gotta _

_Love your woman_

  
  


_And when you find yourself lyin' helpless_

_In her arms_

_You know you really _

_Love a woman_

  
  


_When you love a woman_

_Tell her that she's really wanted_

_When you love a woman_

_Tell her that she's the one_

_Cuz she needs somebody _

_To tell her that it's_

_Gonna last forever_

_So tell me have you ever really_

_Really really ever loved a woman_

_So just tell me have you ever really_

_Really really ever loved a woman_

_Oh just tell me have you ever really_

_Really really ever loved a woman_

The song finished, and some of the diners in the restaurant clapped their hands. Zidane stepped back, not able to look Garnet in the eye. She laughed at his red face, and he looked up. 

  
  


"I'm kinda tired Zidane," she said. "Could we leave now?"

  
  


Zidane nodded. "Of course. Do you want to go driving for a bit, or do you want me to take you straight home?"

  
  


Garnet thought this over for a minute, then just decided to go all the way. "Would you mind driving me around for awhile?" she asked softly.

  
  


Zidane beamed. "Of course." Then he got Garnet's jacket for her, and they left they building, being careful not to step on their waiter's body on the front steps of the restaurant. 

  
  


They got into Zidane's car, and were soon driving down an old abandoned road. They had been driving for about a half hour when they came to a clearing by the side of the road. Zidane slowed down and pulled over to it. 

  
  


They were on a cliff, and down below them was a view of the entire town. The sun was almost done setting, and orange and pink were splayed across the sky. 

  
  


Zidane stopped the car, and turned to Garnet. She was looking at the spectacular view, and took no notice of him. Zidane took a deep breathe, and then went for it. 

  
  


"Garnet...." he said softly. She heard him, and turned to face him, which some may have viewed as a mistake. Zidane grasped her face in both hands and kissed her squarely on the lips. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then she relaxed and started to kiss him back. 

  
  


Zidane pulled back to look deep into her eyes. She stared back. Zidane smiled softly, then bent forward and kissed her again. He moved one of his hands down to the top of her dress, but didn't make any move to open the buttons. He pulled back again, and started to whisper something into her ear. 

  
  


_I love the way you look tonight_

_With your hair hanging down _

_On your shoulders_

_'N I love the way you_

_Dance your slow sweet tango_

_The way you wanna do _

_Everything but talk_

_And how you stare at me with_

_Those 'undress me' eyes_

_Your breath on my body_

_Makes me warm inside_

  
  


_Let's make out_

_Let's do something amazing_

_Let's do something that's _

_All the way_

_Cuz I've never touched somebody like_

_The way I touch your body_

_Now I never wanna _

_Let your body go_

  
  


_Let's make a night to remember_

_From January to December_

_Let's make love _

_To excite us_

_A memory _

_To ignite us_

_Let's make honey baby_

_Soft and tender_

_Let's make sugar darlin'_

_Sweet surrender_

_Let's make a night to remember _

_All night long_

  
  


_I love the way you _

_Move tonight_

_Beads of sweat drippin' _

_Down your skin_

_Me lyin' here_

_'N you lyin' there_

_Our shadows on the walls _

_And our hands everywhere_

  
  


_Let's make out_

_Let's do something amazing_

_Let's do something that's _

_All the way_

_Cuz I've never touched somebody _

_Like the way I touch your body_

_Now I never wanna_

_Let your body go_

  
  


_Let's make a night to remember_

_From January to December_

_Let's make love_

_To excite us_

_A memory _

_To ignite us_

_Let's make honey baby_

_Soft and tender_

_Let's make sugar darlin' _

_Sweet surrender_

_Let's make a night to remember _

_All night long_

  
  


_I think about you _

_All of the time_

_Can't you see you_

_Drive me out of my mind_

_Well I'm never _

_Holding back again_

_Ya I never want this_

_Night to end_

_Cuz I never touched somebody like_

_The way I touch your body _

_Now I never wanna _

_Let your body go_

  
  


_Let's make a night to remember_

_From January to December_

_Let's make love_

_To excite us_

_A memory _

_To ignite us_

_Let's make honey baby_

_Soft and tender_

_Let's make sugar darlin'_

_Sweet surrender_

_Let's make a night to remember_

_All night long_

  
  


Garnet pulled back, surprised at Zidane's words. He stared back at her, awaiting her response. Garnet blushed, and looked down at her feet. 

  
  


"Zidane..." she said. "You don't know what you're saying...."

  
  


Zidane reached over, took her hands and covered them with his. "Yes I do. I... I love you Garnet. I have for a long time, but haven't realized it until tonight."

  
  


Garnet was shocked, and didn't say anything.

  
  


"Please say you love me too Garnet, for if you did, you would make me the happiest man on earth."

  
  


Garnet finally looked up, and when she saw the love Zidane had for her in his eyes, she bit her lip, summoned up her courage, and forced her next words out. 

  
  


"I... I don't know what to say, Zidane. I like you, more than a friend.... but I don't love you."

  
  


"Why?" asked Zidane. 

  
  


"I don't know," she said. "It may be I'm not ready for love yet, but I just can't tell you now. Can you take me home now?"

  
  


Zidane sighed with disappointment. "Of course." He gunned the engine, and they took off down the street.

  
  


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Part 2 is done. Sorry if it was too long. ^_^ Anyways, please R/R, and look for part 3, which will hopefully be coming soon!

  
  
  
  


~Peace~

  
  


Nicky 

  
  
  
  


  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

They drove down an old road, Zidane and Garnet, not talking, only listening to the radio which was playing a song softly. Finally, Zidane decided he had to say something, for the silence was starting to bug him.

"Garnet..." he started, but was silenced when Garnet held up a finger.

"If you're going to say you're sorry, it's not your fault," she said quietly. "I'm at fault. I'm sorry for not being able to say what you wanted me to."

"How about a compromise? We're both at fault, but we're both sorry. That okay?" he asked her. Garnet looked up and nodded.

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared out of nowhere, swooped down, and attacked the couple in the car. Zidane only had enough time to cry out Garnet's name before he was hit on the back of the head, and fell unconscious. He never heard Garnet being taken away.

Over at Garnet's house...

Eiko paced the floor, worried for her friend. Glancing up, she saw that the clock read 2 in the morning. 'Don't wait up for us, Eiko,' Zidane had said. Well, she would have waited anyways, no matter what he had said, just in case something like this should ever happen.

The doorbell ringing jolted her out of her thoughts and into the present. Praying fervently that it was Zidane and Garnet, she ran to the door and opened it. She wasn't all wrong. Zidane stood on the front step, the rain having soaked him throughly, and he was shivering.

"Garnet... missing..." was all he was able to whisper before shock and exhaustion caught up with him, and he collapsed on the spot.

When Zidane woke up, all he could see was a bright light in front of him. Squinting, he raised a hand to block it, and when he made the attempt to do so, the light was shut off.

"How are you feeling, Zidane?" came a voice. Zidane looked over and saw a little girl's face.

"I said, are you okay, Zidane?" repeated the girl, and Zidane vaguely realized that it was Eiko talking. Then sleep caught up with him again, and he fell asleep.

Zidane was awakened again, this time by a tugging on his shirt sleeve. Groaning and complaining, he rolled over, only to cry out in pain. With his eyes half close, he could make out the shape of that little girl.

"Are you okay, Zidane?" she asked. "Where's Garnet?"

"Eiko?" he muttered. "Is that you?"

"Yeah. Can you remember what happened, and where Garnet is?"

"Who's Garnet?" he asked.

A look of immense surprise came over her face. "You mean you don't remember who Garnet is?" Eiko seemed to struggle with those words.

"No. Who is she?"

"You went out on a date last night, to the restaurant called 'Avalanche,'" said Eiko. "You told me not to wait up for you, but I did anyways, just in case something like this should happen. And it did. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit...ow!" Zidane raised a hand to his forehead in pain. "Don't make me talk," he muttered. "It hurts."

"Why don't you sit down then," suggested Eiko. "And I'll get you some aspirin and some water."

With some help from Eiko, Zidane managed to lie down again on the sofa he'd been resting on. Then Eiko disappeared momentarily, and reappeared a second later with a glass of water and some aspirin. Zidane took it, then huddled under the blanket. A minute went by, and Eiko noticed he was still shivering.

"Zidane," she asked. "Are you still cold?"

"No... I'm shivering because I'm frying. Of course I'm cold," he snapped weakly. But instead of Eiko bursting into tears, like he'd expected, she threw back her head and giggled.

"Well, you must be okay. Your old sense of humor is definitely back, that's for sure. Here, let me warm you up." Standing back, she closed her eyes and muttered a few words. There was a flash of light, and then Ifrit appeared. He growled, and flames shot out from his body.

"Ifrit," said Eiko. "Care to warm Zidane up a bit?"

Ifrit growled a response, of which Eiko seemed to understand, and then Ifrit made a wave of fire roll over Zidane. When Ifrit disappeared, so did the fire. Miraculously, none of Eiko's furniture or rugs caught on fire.

Zidane was now burned to a crisp, and had stopped shivering. Chuckling softly, Eiko bent forward, kissed Zidane on the forehead, and went off to her bed, where she didn't sleep. Instead, she stayed up, waiting for Garnet, while Zidane slept soundly downstairs.


	4. Default Chapter Title

In an abandoned warehouse, on another continent, in the world of Gaia...

"Mmmph!!" Garnet struggled to free herself of the gag which had rendered her unable to speak. She squirmed back and forth, trying to loosen the ropes on her wrists.

A loud noise made her stop what she was doing, and look up. There, in the doorway, stood her captor. She walked towards Garnet, who scooted backwards, until she backed up into a wall. The mysterious figure kept coming, and stopped only a few feet away. A flash of lightning from outside lit up the dark chamber for a split second, but it was long enough for Garnet to see who it was who'd kidnapped her.

"You!" cried Garnet, raising a hand and pointing at the woman who stood before her. "You're the one I saw in the paper, the one who got thrown in jail for abusing her husband... who was CLOUD STRIFE!!"

"That's right," said the woman. "I gave that arrogant bastard what he deserved."

"But what did he ever do to you?" asked Garnet, desperately trying to stall the woman before she herself got hurt.

"He left me for Aeris, that asshole..." she muttered. "Said my boobs were too big, my brain and clothing too small... said he needed someone like Aeris to make him feel better... said he loved her... said that they were meant to be... well, I LOVED HIM!

The nerve of him, telling me he loved Aeris more than me, and I was his childhood friend too. But then she's dead, because Sephiroth killed her, so I guess it's okay now."

Garnet jumped a little and looked shocked, but she quickly recovered. "So that means you're... Tifa Lockheart!!" shouted Garnet again.

Tifa smirked. "Right again, sweetheart."

"But... but how did you get out?" sputtered Garnet.

Tifa bent down closer to Garnet. "Look, honey, just because you're in jail doesn't mean you can't get out. They stuck me in some crap-ass jail that was easy to break out of. I wasn't the first to do so, and I know I'm not the last." Tifa straightened up. "Now, what shall I do with you?" she mused out loud to no one in particular.

"Let me go?" suggested Garnet meekly.

Tifa turned around. "Um, no. I was thinking more along the lines of... using you for bait! Yes, I'll get Cloud back for good this time! He wouldn't let an innocent bystander get hurt."

"Uh, Tifa?" asked Garnet.

"Yeah, what is it?" snapped Tifa.

"Cloud's gone insane. My boyfriend asked him about what it was like being in the terrorist group AVALANCHE, and he went nuts. Barret kicked him out of the restaurant."

Tifa threw her head back and laughed. "Well, I guess I can't get my revenge then. Damn that. But..." Tifa turned around to face Garnet. "You said you had a boyfriend?"

Garnet swallowed her fear. "Yeah, but what's it to you?"

Tifa grinned wickedly. "I may not be able to get Cloud back, but I can get myself a new guy! And he'll be your boyfriend!"

"No!" protested Garnet, struggling harder than ever against the ropes which held her captive. "You won't succeed! He loves me, and me only! You'll never be able to pull it off!"

"Just watch me do it," shot back Tifa. "As for now, you'll stay in here." Tifa stormed away, and slammed the iron gate closed behind her. Garnet was a prisoner once again.

Slumping to her side, Garnet stopped moving, and tried to imagine the pain away. Didn't work. Her hope of being rescued was fading, but she scolded herself, and reminded herself that Zidane, soon, would find and rescue her. To cheer herself up for the time being, she decided to think back and look at some of the happier times she'd had with Zidane.

Garnet scanned her mind, then decided on her memory of the night she'd spent with Zidane, after they'd saved Gaia from her mother, or rather, from the being who'd been controlling her mother. Zidane had been half awake on the couch, and she, unable to sleep, had come downstairs and joined him there. In a matter of minutes, they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms. But it was what Zidane had said that made that memory so special. He'd whispered the words of his favourite song to her, to help her fall asleep. Zidane had bent his head down so he could whisper those magical words into her ear.

After Zidane had finished, Garnet had sighed with happiness of knowing Zidane cared for her, and then she fell asleep. Zidane followed her not long after, his princess still snug in his arms.

Garnet smiled to herself at the memory, and was about to close her eyes and fall asleep for the night when all of a sudden, a glowing light appeared by the iron door. Shielding her eyes from the light by ducking her head slightly, Garnet managed to sit up. She looked towards the door, and gasped at what she saw.

A white being was standing there,, with its back to her, or so it appeared at first. Garnet squinted, and she gasped again when she saw that the being was not standing, but was floating two feet off the ground. Terrified, she whimpered, which attracted the being's attention. Garnet made a strangled sound in her throat, but the being just smiled as it began to float towards Garnet.

"Stop! Stay away!" shouted Garnet to the being, which stopped moving, but continued to smile. It turned around, so it's back was facing Garnet. It closed its eyes, and whispered a prayer. The lock on the iron door rattled around for a few seconds, and then it broke in two and fell to the floor with a crash.

Garnet stared at the broken lock, her face whiter than milk. "Who... who are you?" she managed to ask.

The being turned around again, and smiled once more. You should know. Tifa did tell you about me.

Garnet whirled around, wondering where the voice was coming from. "W-Where did the voice come from?"

I can speak into your mind. It's called 'thought speak.'

Garnet turned around so she was facing the being, and managed a smile. "Thank you for breaking the lock, But, who are you?"

The being smiled sadly. My name Is Aeris Gainsborough, and obviously I am dead. I died a long time ago. Tifa told you already that Sephiroth killed me; he stabbed me through the stomach.

"But why did you help me?" asked Garnet.

Because Tifa has tortured too many people already. Soon after AVALANCHE destroyed Meteor, she went nuts, and attacked Cloud. With the help of my old friends, Cloud managed to get Tifa locked up. But then she escaped... Anyways, I didn't want to see anyone else suffer at her hands. Which is why I'm setting you free.

Garnet smiled. "Thank you again. And by any chance, you wouldn't be able to get these ropes off would you?"

Aeris smiled. Of course. Aeris whispered another prayer, and in the next second, the ropes disappeared. Garnet let out a whoop of joy, and she rubbed her sore, red wrists until they felt slightly better.

Garnet started to thank Aeris again, but stopped when Aeris held up a hand for silence.

You must go now. Tifa will be back any minute now, and I don't want you getting caught all over again.

Garnet stood up and nodded. "Thank you, Aeris. Will I... ever be able to talk like this to you again?"

Aeris gazed off into the distance, and she seemed to be thinking about something. Finally, she looked back at Garnet. Yes. If you visit my church in the slums, you might be able to see me there. If you can't find it, then ask Barret.

"You mean Barret Wallace?" asked Garnet.

Yes. Have you seen him lately? questioned Aeris.

"Yeah. He's the manager of the restaurant called 'Avalanche.' He threw Cloud out of the restaurant after my boyfriend, Zidane, asked him what it was like being in the terrorist group AVALANCHE."

Aeris got a somber look on her face. I guess... it was all too much. Cloud used to confide in me, you know. He told me he didn't like being in SOLDIER, that he hated having to kill people. My death probably didn't make things any easier for him. And then when Zidane asked him about it, it brought memories back. I'm sorry to hear that. But it's been so long since I've talked to my friends... more than 15 years... Aeris hesitated for a second, lost in her memories of her old love, then snapped back to the present. You have to go now, or else you'll be caught by Tifa again. GO!shouted Aeris, pointing to the open door.

Garnet ran forward and left the dark cell behind, hopefully forever.


	5. Default Chapter Title

Back at Eiko's house...

Eiko woke up, the sun shining in her eyes. She sat up, rubbed the sleep from them, then swung her legs out of bed and got up. Suddenly, she remembered Zidane was downstairs. Quickly, she threw on the clothes she'd worn the day before, then raced downstairs to see how Zidane was doing.

She ran downstairs and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what Zidane was doing. He'd gotten out of bed (off the couch really), and was now making breakfast.

Eiko took a step forward. "Zidane... what are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it look like? I'm making breakfast. You hungry?" he asked, holding up a pan of scrambled eggs.

"No, thanks," she muttered, then sat down in a chair at her kitchen table. "So, how long have you been up for" she asked him.

"Not long," he answered, turning back to the stove.

"Zidane, we need to talk. Garnet needs our help."

Zidane turned around from the stove, and dished the scrambled eggs onto a plate, which he put on the table. He then sat down.

"Who is this Garnet you speak of, Eiko?" he asked her.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot you don't remember her," said Eiko sheepishly. "Would a picture of her help you get your memory back?"

"It's worth a try," said Zidane.

Eiko nodded. "I'll be right back. I have a picture of her upstairs on my dresser. I'll go get it."

"All right," replied Zidane. Eiko ran off to get it, and Zidane started eating his scrambled eggs.

Eiko returned a few minutes later, a wooden framed picture clutched tightly in her hands. Zidane had finished his scrambled eggs, and was washing the dish in the sink. He heard Eiko coming and turned around when she entered the kitchen.

"Is that it?" he asked, indicating the picture Eiko held.

Eiko nodded. "It is."

Zidane washed his hands on a dishcloth, then walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. Eiko did too.

"May I see it?" he asked. Eiko handed it over, and Zidane took it. His eyes bugged out when he saw the girl in the picture.

"That's Garnet?!" he exclaimed. "Wow, is she ever hot!"

"She went out on a date with you yesterday..." Eiko started, but was interrupted by Zidane.

"I went out with her? This hot girl is the one I went out with?!"

"For the last time, yes," said Eiko in an exasperated tone. "Right before you guys left, you told me not to wait up for you guys, because you thought you were going to bring Garnet back here around midnight. Do those words sound familiar?"

Zidane thought for a second. "They do... but I don't remember myself saying them."

Suddenly, he eyes drooped, and he fell forward a couple of inches, so that his head was nearly making contact with the table. Eiko grabbed the picture before it could fall from his hands and break on the floor.

"You're tired," said Eiko with a small smile. "I'll go put this back upstairs, and you can go lie down again. Be right back." Eiko dashed off.

Zidane didn't feel like lying down, so instead he got up and turned on the radio which sat by Eiko's phone. He fiddled with the dial, until he found a station that didn't have any static.

The music faded, and Zidane found himself holding his head. Wave after wave of old memories flashed through his head, so fast it was painful. That was how Eiko found him. Worried, she summoned a GF, who picked Zidane and carried him back to the couch. She then cast 'Sleep' on him, and Zidane fell asleep.

Eiko walked slowly back to the kitchen, and began to fix herself something to eat. The radio was still on, and Eiko decided to leave it the way it was. She opened a can of soup, warmed it using Ifrit, then sat down and began to eat.

"That was 'Dreaming Of You' by Selena, and now here's our next hit, "Every Breath You Take' by Sting and the Police," said the announcer on the radio.

Eiko wondered briefly if it was the memories Zidane had of the song that made him get a headache, as Eiko knew Zidane had played that song for Garnet right after they'd saved Garnet's mom and the world of Gaia, but she dismissed the idea as something foolish.

The song finished, and Eiko got up and then checked up on Zidane. He seemed to be okay, so she decided to wait for him to wake up, and then she was going to go and find Garnet, with or without his help.

Then she decided that she might need some help, as she was only an 8 year old girl. Eiko ran to the phone, and immediately called up Steiner, Quina, and Freya to see if they would be able to help.

-----------

Somewhere in the world of Gaia...

Garnet had been running for hours, or so she thought, and was exhausted. Tired, hungry and weak, she collapsed on the ground, to tired to go any further. Suddenly a voice in her head started talking to her.

Get up, Garnet. You can make it. Midgar is just up ahead.

Garnet lifted her head. "Is that you, Aeris?" she called out.

Yes. Midgar is just up ahead. You can find food and shelter there.

"Alright," said Garnet, somehow finding the strength inside her to get up and continue walking. And, just as Aeris had said, Midgar appeared. Garnet gave a cry of joy, then continued walking until she reached the security border.

"Where are you from, miss?" asked the guard.

"Um... Lindblum..." she said weakly, feeling like she was going to pass out.

"Hey, are you all right, miss?" asked the guard.

"I'm going... to faint..." whispered Garnet before she swayed and fell to the ground.

When Garnet awoke a few hours later, she had no idea where she was. Sitting up, she rubbed her head to ease her headache, then sat up and got out of the bed she'd been lying in.

"Where am I?" she asked no one in particular. Garnet spotted a window on the other side of the room she was in, and she walked over to it. Looking out, she saw the city of Midgar ahead of her. And, judging by how high up she was, the building she was in had several floors. Garnet decided she was ready to go, so she left the room. She crept downstairs to the bottom floor, and, seeing the guard watching his TV at his post, she snuck past and ran out towards Midgar, hoping she could find someone who could take her back to Lindblum.


	6. Default Chapter Title

Garnet ran on through the slums, raising a hand occasionally to push through a group of people. Finally, she collapsed from exhaustion next to a pile of rubble of scrap metal. There were people all around her, so many she guessed she was in a popular gathering place, like a market place or something. And when she glanced up and saw through her blurry vision a sign that said "Wall Street Market," she knew she was right.

Then she remembered that she had to find someone to help her find Zidane again. Summoning up her remaining courage, she struggled to her feet and staggered onwards. Seeing a person ahead of her, she walked up to the person, realized it was a man, and tapped him on his shoulder. He turned around.

"What can I do for you, ma'am?" he asked her.

"Can you tell... me where the Sector...7 slums are?" she managed to get out.

"Sure," he said, looking concerned about her appearance."Just turn around, leave here , and make a right. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, kind sir," murmured Garnet. She managed a weak bow, then turned and started to walk away. The man uttered something Garnet couldn't hear, then ran up beside her.

"Are you all right, ma'am?" he asked.

"No... I must... find Sector 7..."

"Then let me help you," he insisted. "Here, lean on me." He took her arm and put it around his shoulders. Garnet leaned on him, grateful for the support.

"Thank you, sir," she whispered.

"Now, let's get you to Sector 7," said the man.

"But... you don't even know...me," protested Garnet. "How can you... help me?"

"I'll start by getting you to Sector 7 safely. I'll decide what to do then. Is that all right with you?"

Garnet nodded. "Sure..."

The man turned to her as they continued on walking going around a bend and seeing a sign ahead of them proclaiming 'Sector 7 up ahead.'

"What's your name?" he asked.

"What's it... to you?" The man looked hurt, and Garnet instantly regretted her harsh words. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean... that. I'm Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th..." Garnet trailed off as she felt a dizziness come over her. The man noticed this.

"Are you all right, ma'am?" he asked again.

Garnet didn't answer. Suddenly, her eyes closed as she swooned and plummeted downwards, not caring that the stranger caught her in his arms right before she hit the ground.

Back at Eiko's house...

Eiko was in the kitchen when Zidane woke up. He rubbed his head, grumbled something, then stopped in his tracks. Not only was Eiko in the kitchen, but so was Steiner, Quina, and Freya.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

Quina chose to answer this question. "Eiko here called us, telling us Garnet was missing."

Steiner took a step towards Zidane angrily. "And weren't you with her, on your date?" Steiner sneered the last word.

Zidane winced. "Whoa, slow down, Steiner. Let me explain. I was with Garnet, and we were heading back here, when something hit me over the head. Right before I passed out, I saw this black creature descend onto Garnet. When I woke up, I was alone in the car, which just happened to get badly damaged in our fight. Garnet was gone. I managed to walk back here, and Eiko's been nursing me back to health. That's all I know."

Quina, who'd been standing at the stove during Zidane's speech, turned around. "That's too bad. Well now, you guys can't not eat anything before you go. I made bacon, toast, and scrambled eggs. Eat up!"

"Go?" asked Zidane of Eiko.

"We're going to go find Garnet, Zidane," replied the little girl.

So they had breakfast, and then Eiko told everyone else her plan.

"Quina, thanks for the excellent breakfast. Now, let's get down to business. I'm guessing that maybe it was a stray Black Mage that took Garnet. I don't know any other black creature that lives in this area, or near Lindblum. The second question is, is it acting on orders? And if so, who is behind all this?"

Steiner stood up and opened his mouth to say something, but Eiko interrupted him. "No, it's not Garnet's mother again." Steiner grunted something uncomprehensible and sat down. Eiko giggled, then got a serious look on her face and continued.

"I propose we head out in two groups. Quina, you can go with Freya, and I'll go with Steiner. Any questions? Any ideas of where we should start?"

Steiner raised a hand. "Yes, Edward?" asked Eiko.

"Um... I think I remember her saying how much she liked traveling to big cities. Maybe if she got lost, or is in trouble, she'd be by or in a big city."

Eiko beamed. "Great idea ,Steiner! What are the big cities in this area?"

Steiner thought and scratched his head. "Um... there's Lindblum, Midgar, Junon, and... sorry, Eiko, I can't think of any others at the moment. The only other places I can remember are Fort Condor and that Chocobo farm on the other side of the mountains."

"That's fine, Edward. We'll start with those. Quina and Freya, you guys can look for Garnet at Junon, and Steiner and I will go search for her at Midgar."

Steiner stood up. "Let's go!" he shouted, and everyone ran out the door.

"Wait!" called out Zidane. "Who do I go with?"

Eiko ran back inside. "You can stay here," she said. "You're sick, and need your rest."

Zidane shook his head furiously. "I won't stay. She's my girlfriend and..."

"And?" prompted Eiko.

"And I love her," finished Zidane. Eiko was silent for a moment, then nodded. "All right, you can come with Steiner and me."

"Let's go, then." Zidane, Steiner and Eiko ran out the door again. They split up at the crossroads, and agreed to meet up again at Eiko's house in two days, around 10 at night.. Neither party looked back.

Somewhere in the Sector 7 slums...

Garnet felt something cool being placed on her forehead. She opened her eyes slowly, and could barely make out the figure of a man above her. When a drop of water trickled down the side of her face, she realized that it was a damp cloth on her forehead.

"Uh..." she groaned, and the man jumped back.

"You're awake!" he said.

"I'm alive..." she muttered. "Where am I?"

"In a building, if you could call it that, in Sector 7," replied the man.

"I'm here at last ...Aeris, I'm coming..."

"Who's Aeris?" he asked.

Garnet ignored his question. "Help me sit up, please," she asked.

The man bent forward, and as he helped her sit up, she saw that he wasn't a man, but only a teenager.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem. Hey, since you've already told me your, I should tell you mine. My name is Squall Leonhart. Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Princess Garnet."

Garnet managed a feeble smile. "No one calls me princess. Garnet will be... fine."

Squall nodded. "All right then, if that's what you want."

"Squall... can you do me just one... more favor?" she asked.

"Sure."

"Do you know... where the Sector 7 church is?"

"I think so. Why?"

"I need to go there. Aeris is waiting for me."

"Can you walk Garnet?" he asked her.

"I don't know. Could you help me stand up?"

"No prob." Squall bent down, and with his help, he managed to get her standing. Garnet took a deep breath, then took a step forward. As soon as her foot hit the ground, Garnet's body collapsed. She was still too weak. But Squall caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Looks like you can't. That's okay. I'll give you a piggyback over to the church."

"I don't want to be a burden to you," protested Garnet weakly.

"You aren't, don't worry. Up you go now." Squall hoisted Garnet onto his back. She let out a small moan in pain. "Sorry," apologized Squall. Garnet said nothing. "Here we go."

Squall set off towards the church.

Somewhere in the world of Gaia, near Midgar...

Zidane sighed as he plodded onwards, stepping over a branch in his path. "This sucks," he said in a dull tone. "She could be anywhere by now. What are the chances she's in Midgar? This place is so far away from Lindblum it's almost impossible that she got here in only two days."

"Think positive," said Eiko. "I bet you we'll find her here. I've been getting good vibes ever since we started heading in this direction, and they're only getting stronger as we get closer to Midgar."

"Good. God knows how worried I've been about her. I hope that nothing's happened to her... 'cause if something did, I'll kill myself..."

"You wouldn't," said Eiko.

"I would," was the response.

Eiko sighed, and she, Zidane, and Steiner kept walking through the forest.

Suddenly, they reached the end of the forest. Zidane looked over the cliff, and shielded his eyes from the sun, which hung high in the afternoon sky. In the valley below, there was a large town.

"I'm guessing that's Midgar," said Steiner.

Zidane spun around to face Steiner. "What do you mean, 'I guess?' This had better be Midgar or I'll have your head on a platter!"

Steiner backed away from Zidane, his hands up for protection."Whoa, sorry, man. I'm sorry. I underestimated your love for the princess."

"You damn well did," snapped Zidane.

Eiko stepped between the two guys, her hands forcing them apart. "Now, now, children. Break it up. This is definitely not the time to be fighting. Just wait until we had Garnet back, and then you two guys can go at it for as long as you want."

Zidane took a step back, a look on his face. "All right. But for now only. Let's get going."

"But how are we going to get down the cliff?" asked Steiner.

"Duh," said Zidane. "Just watch and follow me." He held out a hand and waved it around for a second. Then he shouted, "Float!"

A white light, spreading outwards from inside his body, engulfed him. Instantly, Zidane floated up a couple of inches off the ground.

"Oh, yeah," said Steiner sheepishly. He cast 'Float' on himself, as did Eiko. The three of them flew off the cliff and headed downwards towards Midgar.

Having arrived at the church, Squall eased Garnet's body down to the ground. She moaned, and he picked her up again.

"Wait... I'm okay," said Garnet, trying to get Squall to put her down.

"No, you're not. You're still weak. Here, I'll take you inside." Garnet nodded, and Squall carried her into the church.

Once inside, Garnet motioned to a flower patch in the center of the church. "You can set me down there," she said, motioning to the flower patch. Squall did so.

"Now what?" he asked her.

"Just wait. I need to talk to Aeris first. Um... could you...?" Garnet seemed unable to say the words.

"You want to be alone?" he asked. Garnet nodded. "Oh, sure. I'll just be by the door." Squall backed off, and stood by the door, still watching Garnet.

Garnet turned and faced the flower patch. "I'm here, Aeris," she said.

There was silence for a moment, and then the air above the flower patch began to shimmer. Garnet heard Squall gasp behind her, but she ignored him. After a few seconds, Aeris appeared where he shimmering air had been. Garnet grinned at the sight of her ghost friend, but her smile faded when she saw the upset look Aeris wore.

"What's wrong, Aeris?" asked Garnet of Aeris.

He's coming! said Aeris. Sephiroth. He has heard of you, and he is after you! You must leave here now, or else you will be caught!

"But what about Squall?" asked Garnet, motioning to Squall, who stood staring open-mouthed at Aeris.

Aeris hesitated. Take him with you, she finally decided. But leave him somewhere far away from here, so that he is not caught too! Now go!

"But how will I contact you again?!" cried Garnet frantically.

I will appear whenever you are in trouble. Now go!

"Right," said Garnet, nodding. Aeris smiled briefly, then disappeared. Garnet turned around, and smiled when she saw Squall still standing there, white faced and shaking like a leaf.

"W-Who was that?" he stammered.

"I'll answer questions later." The smile disappeared from Garnet's face. We have to go now. Someone is after me, and Aeris said he will kill you too if you are with me."

"Where will we go?" asked Squall.

"We will head back to Lindblum. Hopefully someone can give us directions. Come on, let's go." Taking Squall's hand, she started running back to the Market Place.

And as they ran back, Squall grinned at her.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You seem to have your strength back. Feeling better?"

"Yes. But I know I have to get back to Lindblum to warn Zidane about him!"

"Who's..." Squall was cut off as Garnet doubled the speed of her running.

In the slums of Midgar...

Zidane stuck his head out from behind a pile of scrap metal. "Eiko, what are your vibes telling you now? This is taking forever, an we have to leave to meet up with the others in a few minutes. We could be here forever!"

"Chill, Zidane," soothed Eiko. "We're very close. I can feel it. She's nearby."

"Good," said Steiner. "I hope we find her soon."

Eiko walked on. "Let's keep going. We'll head back in a few minutes." The others nodded and followed her.

Garnet and Squall stopped running, for they were out of breath. Garnet was bent over, panting heavily, while Squall was just standing upright, only a bit of sweat on his forehead.

"How come... you're not tired?" she panted.

He grinned. "I have my reasons. Well, I don't know about you, but all that running made me hungry. Do you think it would be okay if we got something to eat, Garnet?"

She grinned. "No, we're going to wait until we drop dead from hunger. Of course we are, Squall. Do you know any good fast food places?"

"Um, yeah. There's one in the Sector 6 up ahead. It's called 'Soup-To-Go', and it's pretty good."

"That sounds good. I'm stared. Lead the way."

Squall started walking, and then, as they walked side by side, he reached carefully for her hand. Garnet, lost in her thoughts of Zidane, let him.

In Sector 5...

Steiner kicked a can across the rugged path. "This blows," he muttered.

"Tell me about it," said Zidane. "But we have to find her."

"That will have to wait, Zidane," said Eiko, looking down at her watch. "It's time to head back, to meet up with Quina and Freya."

Zidane spun around so fast he almost fell over. "No! I'm stying here to look for her."

Eiko sighed. "Zidane, we all have to go back. We can come back tomorrow."

"No!"

"Zidane..."

Zidane thought hard for a moment. "How about this? You guys go back, and I"ll stay here overnight to look for her."

Eiko tried to reason with him one last time. "But we all know that if you do that you'll never get any sleep, and what good would you be to Garnet if you were dead tired? She needs you to be strong and wide awake. Not nearly falling over because you're so tired."

Zidane winced from the reality of her words, though he knew she was right. "You're right Eiko. I'll come back. But I'm leaving as soon as the sun rises, whether you guys are coming with me or not."

Eiko nodded. "I'll be going with you then."

"Me too," said Steiner.

"Good. Now let's go back."

"All right," said Zidane rather reluctantly.

They turned around, and headed back to Lindblum.

Garnet and Squall walked hand in hand into Sector 6.

"So, where that restaurant, Squall?" asked Garnet.

"Actually, I don't know if it's still here," he said sheepishly.

"What?!" exclaimed Garnet. "You mean, you're not sure? Well, for your sake it had better be, or else I'll kill you!"

"Uh... you wouldn't actually kill me, right?"

Garnet grinned evilly. "I am a princess, you know. I can have whatever I want. And if I want you dead, then it will happen." At the look on Squall's face, she burst out laughing. "I'm just joking. Now, let's see if we can find that restaurant, shall we?"

They kept walking, until finally Squall spotted the restaurant.

"Look, there it is, Garnet!" Squall pointed it out to her, and she literally jumped for joy.

"Woohoo! Let's go eat!" She ran over to it, leaving Squall behind to catch up to her.

Garnet stopped in front of the "restaurant", which wasn't really a restaurant at all. Actually, it was just a large cauldron bubbling, and this guy sitting on a stool next to it.

Garnet approached him cautiously. "Excuse me, sir, but is the 'Soup-To-Go' restaurant?" she asked him.

"Yes, ma'am. Today's soup is chicken noodle. Want some?"

Garnet was about to say 'Sure', but her words froze in her throat as she saw the air behind the man start to shimmer. Her mouth opened, but nothing except a weird choking sound came out. In the next second, Aeris appeared. She had a frantic look on her face, and she appeared to be motioning for Garnet to get away from the man. When she heard Aeris' voice in her head, her suspicions were confirmed.

No! Run away now! This man is Sephiroth, the one who is after you!

The man, really Sephiroth, followed Aeris' gaze, and anger came across his face as he saw Aeris. Garnet knew then for sure that the man was Sephiroth and she shouted back at Squall to run.

"Squall, run! He's Sephiroth, the one who's after us! He'll kill you if you don't go! Run!!"

Squall shook his head furiously and took a step forward. "I won't leave you. I care for you, and will not leave your side! If he wants us both, then so be it!"

Sephiroth turned back around, and Garnet saw that while she'd been yelling at Squall, Aeris had disappeared.

"Actually, I'm not after you boy," said Sephiroth. "It's the girl I'm after. I will hold her for ransom, just to torture her loved ones, and then I will kill her, so her energy will return to the Planet."

Suddenly, before anyone could stop him, he dashed forward, grabbed Garnet by her arm, then ran back to his original spot. Garnet squirmed in his grasp, trying desperately to escape.

"No! Garnet, are you all right?!" yelled Squall, taking out his gunblade.

Garnet looked up, and, ignoring his question, said, "Squall, listen to me. Run! Get away from here, now!"

"Not without you!"

Garnet's spirits dampened as she realized that Squall wasn't going to leave without her. It was obvious that Squall cared for her. 'But,' wondered Garnet. 'How am I going to tell him that I love Zidane, not him? That he's nothing more than a close friend who gave me help when I needed it. That my heart belongs to Zidane.'

Sephiroth's grin widened as he mentally came up with a new plan. Still holding Garnet, he ran forward and grabbed Squall by the arm. He cried out, but Sephiroth ignored him.

"I have a new plan. I will take you both back to Lindblum, where I will kill you in front of your friends. Your spirits will go to the center of the Planet. Then I will become one with the Planet, and Mother and I will rule the world!"

Squall and Garnet looked at each other in fear as Sephiroth took off from the ground, and, flying at an extremely high speed, soared off in the direction of Lindblum. 'Oh, well,' said Garnet to herself. 'At least I'm not lost anymore.'

Back at Eiko's house...

Zidane sighed as he walked up the front steps of Eiko's house. Removing a key from his pocket, he slipped it into the lock and turned it. The door swung open, and Zidane stepped inside. Steiner and Eiko followed him inside.

Zidane threw his jacket onto a chair, and slumped into another chair by the kitchen table.

Steiner came in, and immediately headed to the fridge to get himself a beer. Eiko walked in calmly and sat her self in a chair opposite to Zidane.

"I wonder if Quina and Freya found Garnet?" she said. Zidane said nothing. When Eiko snuck a glance over at Zidane to see his reaction, she saw he had a blank expression on his face. Suddenly, he got up and left the room without a word.

Just after he left the room, the doorbell rang. Eiko got up and went to answer it. Steiner could hear her talking to Freya, and when the three of them came back into the kitchen, he saw that Garnet wasn't with them.

"No luck in finding her, eh?" he asked them.

"No, we just left her outside in the cold to freeze," snapped Freya. A second of silence passed, and then Freya looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she said. "I guess we're all a little tense."

"It's all right, Freya. Here, help yourself to a beer, to get your mind off of things," he said, motioning to the fridge.

Freya grinned. "Don't mind if I do." Freya went to the fridge and got herself a beer. She opened it and sat down in a chair next to Steiner.

"I wonder if we'll ever find her," muttered Eiko to no one in particular.

Outside Eiko's house...

Sephiroth landed outside Eiko's house, Garnet and Squall still in his clutches. Garnet squirmed, and tried to break away. Sephiroth cursed, and cast 'Sleep' on her. Garnet went limp.

Squall saw this, and he struggled to get free harder than ever.

"Let her go!" he cried. "Keep me instead!"

Sephiroth chuckled. "How sweet of you to offer. But I'm going to have to say...no."

Squall grew frantic as he realized Sephiroth could kill both him and Garnet in a flash if he wanted to. Suddenly, he looked up, and remembered they were in front of Eiko's house. Hoping that someone was inside, he started yelling for them to help him. "Hellllllllppppppp me! Please, someone help us!!"

Steiner's head shot up as he heard a voice.

"There's someone out there," he said.

"I'll go look," said Eiko, standing up. She walked to the kitchen window, then gasped at what she saw outside.

"What is it?" asked Freya.

"It's... it's Garnet!" she cried. "And some other man too! They're being held captive by some guy with gray hair!"

"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" shouted Steiner, reaching over his shoulder for his sword.

"Let's go!" shouted Quina, who led the way as they all ran outside. All except for Zidane, who was upstairs in the room Eiko had given him while he was staying at her place.

Garnet awoke with a headache. Blinking fiercely to clear the sleep from her eyes, she raised a hand and rubbed her eyes. She gasped when she saw what was in front of her. Sephiroth was no longer holding her captive. Instead, he was fighting her friends! She looked to her right, and saw Squall lying there, not moving. Tears coming to her eyes, she scrambled over to his still body and shook his shoulder.

"Squall," she whispered. "Wake up!" When he didn't respond, she shook his body harder.

"Wake up!" she cried. For a moment, she truly thought he was dead. Then he moaned, and his closed eyes twitched. Slowly, they opened to reveal their blue treasures.

"Garnet..." he muttered.

"Squall!" she cried, her tears overflowing to spill down her cheeks."You're okay!"

Squall sat up so suddenly that he was dizzy for a moment. Then he recovered, only to see Garnet's anxious face a few feet away from his.  
"Garnet!" he said, overjoyed that his love was all right. "Are you okay?" he said, holding her back from him so that he could inspect her for injuries.

Garnet lay a hand on his arm to calm him. "I'm fine," she said calmly, trying to sooth his fears.

Squall didn't answer as he cupped her face in his hands. His bright blue eyes bore into her brown ones, as though he was trying to read her soul. "Garnet..." he whispered.

"Squall," she started, but stopped when Squall's face started coming closer to hers. She tried to back away, but he held her face firmly in her grip. All the while, swords and various other weapons clashed loudly in the background.

Zidane shot up from his bed. Loud noises were coming from outside. Zidane went to his window and opened it, but he couldn't see anything, as it was pretty dark out by now. The noises were louder now, and Zidane could hear shouts, as well as the sound of swords clashing.

Not bothering to throw on his jacket, Zidane ran downstairs and out the front door. He stopped dead in his tracks at the scene in front of him.

Steiner was fighting sword to sword combat with a gray haired man, and Freya was trying to jab the man from behind with her lance. Quina was attempting to help Steiner and Freya, but it looked unsure of what it should do. 'But where's Garnet?' thought Zidane to himself. 'Maybe... she's not here.'

Soft voices from his left told him otherwise. He looked over, and what he saw nearly made his heart stop. Garnet was there, and so was this other guy. He had his face so close to hers, it looked like they would kiss. Rage filled his heart, and froze him until his couldn't think, let alone move.

Sephiroth saw him, and he jumped back from Steiner and Freya. Laughing insanely, he spun around in mid-air and flew towards Zidane, who was still too horrified at what he was witnessing to move.

Suddenly, Zidane was thrown to the ground, and Sephiroth flew by harmlessly. After a moment of silence, everyone could see that it was Garnet who had tackled Zidane.

Garnet was panting slightly as she rolled off Zidane, who stared at her coldly. "Are you okay?" she asked. Zidane said nothing. Instead, he stood up.

"Is everyone okay?" he called over to Steiner, Freya, and Eiko, who he hadn't noticed was fighting until now.

"Yeah," called back Steiner, his sword still in his hand. "We're fine. Did you come to help us fight this bastard?"

"You bet!" said Zidane, running over to where the others were, leaving Garnet to do what she wanted. After a moment's hesitation, Garnet decided to join them too. She ran over to the group.

"So, who is this guy?" asked Zidane, ignoring Garnet.

"His name is Sephiroth," said Eiko nervously, as she watched Sephiroth from over Zidane's shoulder. "He's after Garnet, for whatever reason. And that man too." Eiko pointed to Squall, who lay where he was on the ground.

"Squall, get up!" shouted Garnet. The teenager staggered to his feet, and started to run to Garnet, but was stopped by Sephiroth, who grabbed Squall and held his Masume blade to his neck. Squall dared not breathe, for he knew if he moved too much, his throat would be sliced.

Sephiroth smirked. "Well, even if I can't kill that princess over there," he said, motioning to Garnet. "I can have this pretty boy." He looked down at Squall. "Prepare to die." Sephiroth's sword started moving closer to Squall's neck.

"STOP!" Garnet's shriek halted Sephiroth's blade. He looked up, as did Squall.

"Stop," she repeated. "Let him go. Take me instead."

Sephiroth smirked. "We have a deal."

Garnet nodded silently, and began walking towards Squall and Sephiroth.

As Zidane watched her, he searching himself, and found it in him to talk to his love. "Garnet, stop!" he shouted to her. She stopped walking, and turned around to face him. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"Yes, I do," she said, a look of sadness on her face. "Squall saved my life back in Sector 7..."

"Wait! You were in Midgar?!" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. I had no water or food, and I could have died from exhaustion and starvation. Then Squall found me, and he nursed me back to health. Aeris came and told us Sephiroth was after me, but said if Sephiroth found Squall and I together, he would kill Squall too, simply because he was with me."

"Garnet, I was in Midgar too! I was only a Sector away! Eiko was right when she said you were in Midgar. And you were so close too..."

"Well, now I must repay Squall. I owe him everything. So I will repay him by giving up my own life." She turned around and resumed walking towards Squall and Sephiroth.

Squall found his voice. "Garnet, no! Don't do this!" He was silenced as Sephiroth's sword pricked the side of his neck, not too deeply, and a small trickle of blood began to flow down the side of his neck.

Zidane added his shouts to Squall's. "Garnet, don't! I love you!"

Everyone froze as those words of Zidane's sunk in. Zidane watched eagerly, praying fervently that Garnet would stop and come back to him. But she didn't. Garnet stopped again, and pivoted on the spot.

"Zidane, don't make this so hard. I... love you too. But I must do this. If Sephiroth has me, he'll stop this madness." Ignoring his complaints and shouts for her to come back, she continued on walking.

Sephiroth cackled. "That's better." He looked down at Squall. "Well, pretty boy, thanks to your girlfriend, you get to live." He smirked again, then shoved Squall to the ground, who cried out in pain. Worried, Garnet ran to help him, but never made it. When she got close enough, Sephiroth grabbed her. Garnet took Squall's position, which was being held by her shoulder, Sephiroth's blade at her throat.

No one moved. They all knew that one wrong move by any of them meant death for Garnet. On the other hand, Garnet didn't move or even try to escape.

'Aeris,' she thought to herself. 'I need you. You said you would come to me when I was in trouble, and I guess you could call the situation I'm in trouble. Please, help me.'

Nothing happened, and everyone wondered what was going to happen.

Suddenly, the air in front of Garnet and Sephiroth shimmered. Squall happened to look up at this particular moment, and he gasped.

"Aeris!" he said.

"Who's Aeris?" asked Steiner.

"You'll see," was all Squall said.

Everyone watched eagerly as a ghostly being formed where the shimmering air had been.

"That's Aeris," said Squall proudly.

Garnet let out a cry of joy, but Sephiroth was furious.

"You bitch!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing back here?! I killed you all those years ago. You were supposed to return to the Planet!"

Aeris smiled. "I had unfinished business to finish. You see, I knew you would return one day. I knew that even though Cloud put his sword through you, you weren't entirely dead. That you were just weak, and were waiting for the day when you would have enough energy to rise again. That you would come after Garnet."

"What do you want with her?" snarled Sephiroth.

"I think the question is, what do you want with her, Sephiroth?" said Aeris.

"Nothing!" he snapped.

"Really? Then let her go," said Aeris.

"Never!" he shot back to her.

The smile faded from Aeris' face. "Then I have no choice but to kill you."

"You'll never succeed," said Sephiroth. "I'll kill her first." Sephiroth took his blade, and drew it across Garnet's throat. She whimpered in pain as a thin red line appeared, and blood began to ooze from it.

"Garnet!" shouted Zidane. At the same time, he thought, 'What can I do?! If I don't do anything, she'll die!'

"See?" asked Sephiroth to Aeris. "She'll die before you ever kill me."

"I don't think so," said a voice. There was a sound of metal clanging, and then Garnet briefly glimpsed the form of a sword flying through the air. Then came a cry of pain, and a splatter of blood. Garnet looked up, and what she saw almost made her throw up.

A metal sword was lodged in Sephiroth's neck. His grip on her loosened, and Garnet ran back to a safe distance. Sephiroth fell to his knees, uttered something no one could understand, then collapsed to the ground and died.

After watching Sephiroth die, everyone looked around, even Aeris, to see who it was who had spoken.

A man in the shadows, by the front gate of Eiko's house, stepped forward. Garnet saw his face, and she gasped. It was Cloud, the estranged waiter from the restaurant.

"Cloud!" said Aeris, reaching out a hand to him.

"My love," he whispered, walking over to where Garnet, Sephiroth and Aeris were.

"How did you know we were here?" asked Garnet.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't know. I just... knew. Maybe I had some help from some of your spirit friends, I'm not sure though. In any case, I just had a feeling, and it was telling me to come here."

Garnet turned to Aeris. "And how come we can all hear you now, not just me?" she asked.

"Don't know," said Aeris simply.

"Well, at least now things will go back to normal," said Garnet with a sigh of relief.

"I'm... not... dead yet..." came a voice. Garnet looked down, and saw that Sephiroth had not completely died.

"I must... kill him..." Sephiroth, gathering energy form some unknown source, managed to reach for his Masume. In a movement so fast that not even Garnet could follow it, Sephiroth had thrown his Masume at Cloud.

Cloud uttered a cry of surprise and pain as Sephiroth's sword pierced his chest near his heart, and he fell to his knees. Sephiroth laughed softly, and then Garnet saw him stop breathing. Cloud fell to the ground, next to Sephiroth. Aeris uttered a cry of worry as she flew down to his side. She touched his face, and a tear fell from her eye. Cloud breathed in, and Garnet saw that he was not yet gone.

"Aeris, can't you heal him?" she asked, almost begging.

Aeris looked up at Garnet, and Garnet saw that Aeris' eyes were filled with tears, and they were cascading down her cheeks.

"Aeris," Cloud whispered.

Aeris looked back down at the man she loved. "What is it, Cloud?" she asked him.

"I... love you..." he whispered.

"I love you too Cloud," she whispered back. "And God knows I'll miss you. But please, don't die yet. Not before I do one last thing."

"What... is... that?" he asked.

"I want to... sing to you. You told me once... you loved to hear me sing. I want...the last thing you hear to be my...voice..." Aeris almost broke down, but she managed to keep herself together.

"Do you remember the song 'The Promised Land?'" she asked. When he shook his head weakly, she nodded. "I didn't think so. They play it up in the Promised Land. When you arrive there, they can play it for us as often as we want them to."

"Start then..." whispered Cloud.

Aeris nodded. "All right."

Cloud's eyes fluttered as Aeris finished her song. "Aeris," he whispered.

Aeris bent her head so it was next to Cloud's mouth, and that way she could hear every word he said.

"I... love... you..." he whispered. Then, his eyes glazed over, and his head fell back.

"I love you too, Cloud," whispered Aeris, before she buried her face in his chest and burst into tears.

Garnet stood up, understanding that Aeris needed some time to be alone. "Aeris, I'm sorry," was all she said before she turned and walked back to her friends. When she reached them, Garnet turned around to look at Aeris, but saw that her ghostly friend has disappeared.

You know, I'm so sad he's dead, but at least we'll be together forever in the Promised Land, said a voice in her head.

"Really?" asked Garnet out loud, knowing that Aeris could hear her, even if her friends could not.

Yes. He had a true spirit, and the gods said he was worthy enough to go to the Promised Land.

"I'm happy for you, Aeris. But, will I ever see you again?"

Maybe. I may appear from time to time, whenever I want to visit Earth. Until then.

"Good-bye, Aeris," whispered Garnet as she turned to face her friends. She walked over to them. Immediately, Squall rushed up to her.

"Garnet, are you all right?!" he asked.

Garnet started to reply, but was silenced as Squall kissed her straight on her lips. Vaguely, she thought she heard Zidane's cry of rage in the background. Her eyes wide, she managed to get her arms between her and Squall, and she pushed herself away from him.

"Squall, I'm sorry."

"Garnet, I love you," admitted Squall.

His love was silent, as this was a major revelation for her. Finally, Garnet spoke. "Squall, I don't know how to say this to you..." She stood up, and Zidane stepped froward and put his arms around her. "You see, I love Zidane. I thank you with all of my heart for saving me, and for helping me with Sephiroth. But we were never more than friends."

"But..." The look on Squall's face was too much to bear, and Garnet looked down at the ground instead.

Zidane took this as his cue to speak. "I'm sorry Squall. I'm sure there are other young women who would be glad to have a great guy like you as their boyfriend."

"But none as sweet as Garnet."

Garnet sighed. Then she did something totally unexpected. She reached out and lightly stroked the side of Squall's face. "Squall, we can still be friends, can't we?"

Squall looked down. "I guess. Really close friends."

Garnet beamed. "Good. Now, how about we go inside and have some supper. I don't know about you guys, but I'm famished." Zidane grinned as he put his arm around Garnet's shoulders again and let the group inside, where Quina made them all hamburgers and hot dogs.

After supper, Zidane turned on the radio, and they all made believed that they were all at some fancy club, dancing in a ballroom. A slow song came on, and Zidane asked Garnet to dance. She accepted. He pulled her out onto the dance floor, then wrapped her in his embrace as the song started.

Now completely oblivious to everyone and everything else in the room, Zidane bent his head slightly so he could whisper into Garnet's ear. "You know what?" he asked her.

"What?"

"Do you know when I first fell in love with you?"

"Um... was it after we beat my mother, and saved the world?" guessed Garnet.

He shook his head and laughed softly. "Close, sweetheart. Actually, it was when I was sent by Cid to capture you. Remember, how you had just come out of the shower, only to find Vivi and I there?"

Garnet nodded. "Yeah. I was so scared at first, but only because I didn't know who you two were. Then after you told me you were going to take me away, I was so happy that I was going to be free."

"But then after we saved the world, I didn't know how..."

"How to what?" asked Garnet.

"How to tell you I cared for you," admitted Zidane. They were both silent for a few minutes as the music kept playing.

"Same here," said Garnet at long last.

"What?!" Zidane was stunned.

"Yeah. You know, I did care for you, but like you, I didn't know how to tell you that. That's why I was so happy when Eiko set us up on that date."

"I was so happy too," said Zidane with a smile. "When I saw you coming down the stairs at Eiko's house, I thought I was dreaming. You looked like like an angel."

Really? You really mean that?"

"Of course."

"Good. You know, Zidane..." Garnet trailed off.

"What?" he asked Garnet.

"I love you."

Zidane hesitated before grinning back at his love. "And I love you too." He bent his head down to hers, and they kissed. In the background, Zidane thought he could hear Steiner and the others cheering him on.

Finally, they parted. "You know, I"m getting kinda tired," said Garnet with a grin.

Zidane laughed. "Me too. Shall we retire to our beds?" he asked her.

"Sure," she said, laughing so hard she could hardly talk.

Zidane put an arm around his waist, then told the others that they were tired, and were going to bed. Squall stood up.

"Good night, Garnet," he said softly. "I'll be going now. I have to get back to Midgar by tomorrow, or else I might get fired."

"Will you come visit us?" asked Garnet.

He nodded. "Of course." He turned to Zidane. "It was nice meeting you all. Zidane, take good care of her for me, will you?"

Zidane smiled softly. "Sure thing, Squall."

Squall smiled back at Zidane. "Bye for now, I guess." He put on his jacket and left. The door shut behind him.

Zidane turned to Garnet. "Let's go, then." He turned around briefly, said goodnight to everyone, then turned back around and headed up the stairs to their bedrooms with Garnet in his arms. If one looked in from outside, they could see the shadows of two people, which disappeared when the blinds closed.

Outside, two figures were standing in the moonlight. One had spiky hair and a huge sword on his back. The other had long hair kept back in a braid and a long one piece outfit. They looked at each other, smiled, then disappeared.

The End


End file.
